]]>Check out this video from Adam Sutherland discussing the importance of fear, and trusting your unconscious. Remember to get in touch with us. Any new student is welcome to attend one class for free. We know you’ll love it and want to come back. We’re a fun bunch, but when it comes to teaching stuff that works we mean business.

]]>Learn to Save Your Life with Essential Self Defense Skills in 3 Hours

with Dr. Mike Mandel and Adam Sutherland

For more than a decade, I’ve been involved in a British style of Jiu Jitsu that Mike Mandel originally learned directly from its founder, Bill Underwood. Only because Mike has an uncanny ability to perfectly remember these incredible self defense techniques, the system was preserved. Mike’s star student is none other than Adam Sutherland. Together, the two of them have refined, improved and added to Underwood’s original material. Adam is an outstanding teacher with amazing passion for helping people learn the skills they need to save their own life.

Join us on Wednesday October 16th from 6:30 to 9:30 P.M.

We’ve decided to hold a 3 hour seminar for anyone in the Toronto area who wants to learn these incredible self defense skills. Here’s what you’ll be learning.

The first hour is Dr. Mike Mandel covering psychological operations. You’ll learn some of the best ways to judge and use body language to avoid and diffuse a dangerous situation. Those of you reading this post likely already know why Mandel is the best person you could ever hope to learn this material from. I think the one hour you’ll get from Mike will justify the entire price of the seminar alone … but that’s just my opinion.

The second and third hour will be taught primarily by Adam Sutherland, with backup from both myself (Chris Thompson) and our system head, Mike Mandel. Adam has designed a two hour practical skills seminar that will teach you exactly how to end or stop a dangerous confrontation using your body and some highly effective techniques. Everything Adam will show you is easy to learn and does not require years or even months of practise to get right. In a street situation there are no rules. Criminals and thugs obviously aren’t playing by the rules, so as ethical, law-abiding people defending ourselves, we need to know this too. Adam will show you exactly how to overcome an opponent and exit the situation with your life (or the life of your loved ones) intact.

Everything that you’ll learn in this 3 hour seminar is practical, simple and highly effective. In just this one evening you’ll walk away with the knowledge and skills to handle yourself in a bad situation (should it ever happen).

This 3 hour seminar is an absolute bargain at $97 (early bird rate). Sign up before Friday October 4th, after which the price will rise to $147 (no exceptions). We have very limited seating, so act fast.

Because we know that many of you will want to join the Toronto School of British Jiu Jitsu (run by Adam), you’ll have the opportunity to apply your entire seminar fee towards the first three months of training. This is an exceptional opportunity to get the seminar as a free bonus (while hanging out with Mike, Adam and myself every Wednesday night learning amazing self defense skills).

]]>In any physical conflict your only goal must be nothing less than absolute survival. It is not and must never be to injure, hurt, or maim an attacker. Those things are just byproducts of your goal …your absolute survival. Keep this in mind when training.

I am often asked in class this question in some form or another. ”
When do I use what I have been taught?” I will sum up the answer! When whatever you’re dealing with is no longer acceptable to YOU!

What you will do may not be what I might do under the same conditions. It is time to “fight”, for lack of a better word, when you find the condition you’re facing no longer acceptable. Being prepared is often enough. Walking away is often enough. A fight avoided is a fight won!

Knowing how to protect yourself is, in my mind, just as important as knowing how to swim. Swimming is a skill set most of us learn at an early age. I liken swiming with self protection skills in almost the same way. The question then might be stated this way When do I start swiming? The answer: When you’re in the water, Not when you think you might drown!

Not very often does one find oneself in a sistuation one cannot control …and most often by having the option to just leave. If you’re in over your head you have only yourself to blame. Being aware is often enough to help one avoid a possable bad bad day! The key then must always be getting to the shore or back on dry land as soon as possable. Or getting to SAFE! Doing what it takes to get there as quickly and effectively as possable.

Ask yourself, “How well do I swim?” Ask yourself … If you were dropped into deep waters could you save your own life with the skills that you have today? I hope so. The diffrence between swiming and self protection is self protection skills tend to rust with lack of use. So train hard and pay in sweat, time and yes money. Invest in you! Your surivial is in your own hands. Until next week stay safe and watch out for the sharks!

]]>I have personal notes that I study and add to, I have been taking them and saving them for 10 years. I want to share them with you the student. Here you go enjoy!

Always commit to what ever you are doing in life and in the class room. Study how you move, how you walk , run ,jump and just move, you might be surprized by what you see. Study the foot work of other people when you walk around. Study how the body, yours and others move. Almost all of us move diffrently. Know what you can and can’t do, push your limits. Know yourself! Be self aware! Commit to personal growth, both in the classroom and in life. Remember to listen to that inner voice,gut feeling or when your common scence is tingling! Make your strengths stronger! and your weakness smaller. The Hardest part about Self defence traing is …. Showing Up! The rest is easy … So commit to Showing Up. I look forward to training with you all

]]>This week lets get some things in your head. Read this list.Think about what each one of the 7 things do to you or how they would change if at all, what you would do when we train each week!

1. Assume that there is more than one attacker even if you can’t see the person.

2. All attackers that you may have to face are armed even if you don’t see the Weapon.

3. All attackers you might have to defend against are superior in terms of size, strength, fitness, youth, experance and skill.

4. Any attacker who will say “I am going to Kill you” or verbally threaten your person is also capable of doing it. Act on there words not what you think they might mean.

5. No violent encounter once it has begun can be de-escalated or defused. Never assume that it can just end it. Take off or take them out ! Nothing more at that point will work

6. Never let a stranger in a strange place enter your personal space, with out being confronted, eather nicely or not so nicely!

7. All of you tactics training and all we do can be and will be workable under conditions of poor visibilty. poor footing , unfamiliar enviroment, physical distress, injury, exhaustion, and while having to protect some one you love. Think about this when you train with us!

just a bunch of good quote’s I like
So here we go ” The more one sweats in training the less one will Bleed in a fight”
”
It’s not the size of the Dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the Dog”

“It is always fatal to enter a war with out the will to win it

Wars are won in the will”

“Eather find a way or make one”

“Never complain about what you permit”

Be nice… until it’s time to not be nice

Never become satisfied with you skill or abilty in anything alway seek to improve.

]]>I know that I have not updated this site in a long while for that I am truly sorry.Please forgive me. We are still going strong! Today is Sept.3 2013 and we are in our 11th year of teaching this one of a kind system. It can be stated and I believe that we are the first reality based self protection system ever! I am so very proud of that. I am even more proud of the fact that our students continue to learn and grow in this system. We have been working on creating online shorts, called The Principals of Self Protection!! Editing is almost done and they will be on this website in the very near future!! Check back for them soon. We have also made just for our students the British Jiujitsu Matrix listing the basic system with photos and instructional video! 2013- 2014 is going to be the most amazing year in our hisrory so far. One more thing we are planning 3 workshops per-year starting very soon check back for details. These workshops will be one of a kind and you dare not miss any of them! Check back in the coming weeks for updates. Our First one will be called Psyops and Self Protection! We are all very excited about this one ! I will be updateing each this site each week ! I look forward to it you should also until next week stay safe. Adam Sutherland Chief Instructor.
]]>http://www.britishjiujitsu.com/uncategorized/still-going-strong/feed/0Rules of Our Classhttp://www.britishjiujitsu.com/uncategorized/rules/
http://www.britishjiujitsu.com/uncategorized/rules/#commentsWed, 04 Nov 2009 16:57:23 +0000adamhttp://www.britishjiujitsu.com/?p=45

1. If you show up to class you’re training ..this includes your guests. Otherwise you get nothing out of being there.

2. No cheap shots. We don’t train with dicks.

3. Stick with what is being taught.

4. Have excellent personal hygiene … we get pretty close to each other in training.

5. Only an Instructor may teach. This avoids you learning errors.

6. No Jiu-jitsu when we go out to the bar after class. Keep it in the classroom.

7. Be positive.

8. When we call “break”, respect it. We called it for a reason.

9. Respect the tap. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.

10. No flopping.

11. Protect yourself and your training partner.

12. No swearing in class.

13. Train hard.

14 Ask questions. Lots of them. We encourage it.

Please learn this list and follow it .

Until next week

]]>http://www.britishjiujitsu.com/uncategorized/rules/feed/05 Good Ways to Avoid Having to Go to the Hostpital or Jailhttp://www.britishjiujitsu.com/uncategorized/5-things/
http://www.britishjiujitsu.com/uncategorized/5-things/#commentsWed, 28 Oct 2009 14:51:35 +0000adamhttp://www.britishjiujitsu.com/?p=39

1. Having a lack of Awareness

When you’re out and about living your life, look around and pay attention to where you are and what you’re doing. Even pay attention to who you are with. The number of people who don’t do this will surprise you. The benefits of staying alert are to numerous to list here, but an obvious one would be avoiding a group of people who are out for a fight. You don’t need to be around for that.

2. The Fear Vibe

… or as I like to call it blood in the water. If you look like a victim you will be treated like one. Figure out what you’re afraid of and deal with it as best as you can. Replace your fear with calm coolness of mind. Have an “almost bored” expression instead of one that wreaks of fear. You will be thankful that you did.

3. Bluffing

…NEVER BLUFF! If you find yourself in an unprevoked encounter where you’re being threatened, never make threats or bluff. Get out or take them out. Those are the choices. Getting out includes using phychological tactics to end the situation, not necessarily physical skills.

Standing there and woofing it up with some would-be attacker is not only a waste of time… it’s also stupid and attracts unnesesary attention to the sistuation. Just don’t do it! Let your “Run” be “Run” and your “Go” be “Go”. Everything else, aside from psychological disarms, is a waste of time.

4. Tough Guy Posturing

Looking good and actually being good. Do not fall for the ego lie that says you must always look like Superman in front of the boys or some girl/wife ” there is always a bigger stronger faster guy”. Aim for being the best you you can be. The macho man attitude can get you killed. Avoid looking tough – just be tough! Mama always said ” an Empty can makes the most noise”

5. Boundary Violation

Just keep your walls up and keep people at a distance in public places. Look around and never let someone behind you if you don’t trust them. Do your best to keep people at arms length. Cultivate a body bubble and make it clear when someone get inside it, by moving or asking them to move back, or shifting or put something between you and them etc.

Do the 5 things until they become a habit. Until next time train hard.

]]>I want to get across the point of pre-conflict and making up one’s mind. How far are you willing to go to protect yourself and your loved ones?

The importance of having made up your mind before you ever have to use what we train each week cannot be over stated. I want you to think about all the people who love you. Make a list if you like, list all the people who count on you. Being sound in body and mind, use this list to motivate your training. Make up your mind that there are people who love you and need you then ask yourself just how far are you willing to go to protect yourself? Because they need you! This understanding should reflect in your training.

I would rather bleed in the classroom than on the street. We have never had anyone hurt in our training sessions, by the way. I will not let my ego get out of control. People care for me and love me. They need me to be healthy so I can work, play and take care of them. My training reflects this, Yours should too.

I have a set of morals and values that I hold very close to my heart. I have come by them honestly and with a few hardknocks as well. I often find it unnerving to see others put there morals and values onto someone else, who clearly does not share them. Not everyone values what you and I do. Heck, I may not value what you do. What I am willing to fight for might not be what you are willing to fight for or over, things like a parking spot? or a shopping cart or a spilt beer, or a bad glance at me or my company in a public place , or a bump in a mall or sidewalk by a passerby? You get the point.

I am polite in the real world. If I get the vibe that things are going to get hairy… no matter where I happen to be… I simply leave with no questions asked. I have made up my mind that it is always better to have a busted ego than a busted body. I simply don’t care what a stranger thinks of me.

I am reminded of a quote:

“Never spend more time on an enemy then you would on a friend “

I just walk away. There is a line … and should anyone cross that line I will say to myself, “enough is enough”, but that line is very far away. I don’t have a short fuse. I don’t have a quick temper and I am not interested in saving face.

I know what I am capable of. I know that with the burden of what I know, I can more than protect myself. I’m able to end someone’s life if need be. Any of our students could do the same. You don’t need to train in any system of Martial Arts to hit someone with a car , or stab them with a knife, or … in a fit of anger… slash out with a punch and knock a person to the ground where they hit there head and die. Again, you get the point.

Carry your loved ones with you everywhere. Carry them in your heart. Let all your actions reflect their love for you and your love for them. I no longer train to protect only myself, but to protect my loved ones as well.

I train against my ego, I train against the inner voice that says what other people think of me, who I have never met. I train for what I hope never happens. I train hard,with my loved ones in my heart because I have made up my mind exactly how far I’m willing to “go” depending on the scenario.

Take sometime and think about these things . Take as much time as you need. Feel the weight of your personal power, and your responablity to the people who care for you, and then make up your mind. Settle the issue inside yourself long before any encounter ever happens.